It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I love the holiday season and everything that comes with it – festive gatherings, beautiful decorations, tasty treats, giving gifts and enjoying quality time with friends and family.
While celebrating the spirit of the season, it is easy to get swept up in the excitement of it all but it takes just a moment to keep the environment in mind. Here are tips some of our cast members put into practice and would like to share to help make your holidays eco-friendlier.
Deck the halls with LED lights
When you deck the halls and your home, do so with energy-efficient LED lights that use 80% less energy than traditional incandescent lights. Many decorative lights also have timers so you can program them to shut off when they’re not in use.
A couple of good green examples: Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World Resort is decked out with more than 200,000 LED white lights to make the castle glisten; and at Disneyland Resort, Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle is illuminated nightly with more than 126,000 twinkling LED lights, sparkling “icicles.”
Skip the wrapping, give the gift of experiences
Save yourself time and cut down on waste by gifting memorable experiences that don’t require any wrapping paper.
Wrap it in brown so it can come back around
Most gift wrap isn’t recyclable because of its decorative elements so if you’re going to wrap, use recyclable brown wrapping paper or brown paper bags you get from the grocery store.
Send e-cards instead of snail mail
Send out holiday cards electronically to reduce paper use and the carbon footprint that comes with postal delivery.
Reduce waste around the table
Cut down on food waste with smart preparation and smart shopping.
Serve food with washable utensils, plates, and glasses, rather than disposable items.
Sustainable gifts are everlasting
Seek out environmentally-friendly/sustainable gift options such as reusable straws, bags and travel mugs; plants, clothes or items made out of recycled products.
Recycle real trees with yard waste
Make sure when the holidays are over, real trees are recycled with yard waste and not put out with your trash.
Hopefully you will keep these tips in mind as you enjoy everything from eggnog to elves and gingerbread to jingle bells this holiday season!